Lonely Nights
by Everlastingpassion13
Summary: [Pre-FE 8] A short, drabble about Vanessa's affection for Innes before the war. (One-sided Vanessa/Innes)


**DISCLAIMER: The Fire Emblem Franchise is the product of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.**

**CHARACTERS: Vanessa, mentions of Innes, Eirika and Syrene**

**PAIRINGS: One-Sided Vanessa/Innes**

**UNIVERSE: Pre-FE 8; before the events of Sacred Stones**

**WARNINGS: Rated Mature for Implications of Sexual Acts **

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: ****_I adore Vanessa. She is probably one of my favorite Fire Emblem characters. Truthfully I'm not very proud of this work. I believe Vanessa is a much stronger character, but I wanted to experiment with her growing love for Innes before the events of Sacred Stones. So I think a less mature Vanessa, before the events of the war, would have reacted somewhat similar to the way I described her here. It's short. _**

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><p>She fantasized about him sometimes. She fantasized about how his hands would feel, working their way through her bodice, down her dress, tugging at the strands holding her underwear together, slipping in between her thighs. She shuddered briefly at the thought, fingers instinctively twitching with the desire to roam.<p>

But she knew her place, and stood protectively at his side, holding in her innermost thoughts and fighting to keep him alive.

But every night she'd sink into her bed and dream about him, tangled in the sheets alongside her, an arm draped around her waist, fingers plastered against the flat of her stomach, his breath on her neck.

She had vivid dreams; they were dreams where he whispered her name and made love to her in obscure places. She would gasp awake, her fingers and thighs wet, her breathing heavy, but a coldness filling her heart. Her skin felt hot with shame; she felt soiled and miserable, pinning for a man who could never love her, never marry her, never truly see her as more than a steward, a knight.

She sometimes wished she was strong like her sister. Syrene knew her place. She was the strongest of the Pegasus Knights of Frelia and Vanessa envied her fortitude. But Vanessa hated her too. Syrene was too pretty sometimes. Sometimes she was too powerful on the field, too captivating. Vanessa loved Syrene. She was her sister after all, and though she was jealous, she would never wish harm on her sister. But sometimes Vanessa wanted more than anything to be as graceful as her sister, as strong and as proud.

Prince Innes was a skilled archer, and Vanessa would watch him train some days. He'd notice her and encourage her to train alongside him. Those were the happiest days of her life. They'd spar sometimes; being a more prolific lance-wielder, Vanessa out-matched the Prince, but in archery skills, Prince Innes had no equal.

Of all the emotions she had for him, the one most acceptable was her admiration. She admired his skill, cool-demeanor and tactical prowess. She was captivated by his performance on the battlefield. Sometimes she lost herself just watching him as he shot arrow after arrow, hitting every mark, or when a victory was reached without a single causality. It made her think, some nights alone, after she had come to terms with the gripping emotion that had her dreaming of his lips trailing down her breasts, that she couldn't possibly be worthy of such a man.

Instead, Vanessa contented herself with nights of fantasies about what would never be.

When the war began, and Renais had fallen; Prince Innes stuck out to defend Frelia. Vanessa had wanted to go with him but the Prince refused her help, wanting her to protect the castle instead. She'd never been furious with the Prince before; then this sudden anger boiled in her heart. If she wasn't there to protect him, then what use was she to him? She was a knight. If she could not be his lover, she would be his shield. Those were the words she whispered to herself every night before bed, before the dreams, before the wanting and the passionate fantasies.

So she joined the Princess of Renais. It was her duty to protect her Prince, no matter how she felt, no matter how much more she wanted of him. She would have to be content with her lonely nights.


End file.
